Clipper for obtaining hair density samples



1943. J. 1. HARDY 2,331,319

CLIPPER FOR OBTAINING HAIR DENSITY SAMPLES Filed Aug. 6, 1942 P J I 3 vINVENTOR JOHN LHARDY ATTORNEYS v Patented Oct. 12, 1943 CLIPPER FOR OBTASAMPL John I. Hardy, Laurel, Md. Application'August 6, 1942, SerialNo.453,778 I 11 Claims. (c1.;s0 197). (Granted under the act of 3, 1883, asI amended April 30,1928; 370

This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended bythe act of April 30, 1928, and the invention herein described, ifpatented, may be'manufactured and used by or for the Government of theUnited States of America for governmental purposes without payment tome'of an'y royalty thereon. v I

Thisinvention relates to a meansforremoving a sample of hair, suchaswool, for example,

from a hair covered surface of predetermined area for the purpose ofdetermining the fiber density characteristics of the sample.

The accuracy of results in wool density sampling. depends'primarily onthe accuracyof dimensions in'laying off the predetermined area. In theprior art, this is accomplished byuse of calipers so arranged as tocleave the wool along two parallel lines a predetermined distance (1centimeter, say) apart. An ordinary clipper is then inserted inthe'cleavage lines, and the hair is clipped from the adjacent surfaces.The Wool is next cleaved along two parallel lines perpendicular to thefirst two-lines and the adjacent Wool clipped. The sample of wool in theareaso determined is tied and clipped from the skim This manner ofremoving the sample hasclisadvantages; it is tedious, and, unlessextreme caution be'taken, the area is none too accurately laid-off; itis difficult,if not impossible, to follow such. procedure w'ith'dense'or felted fleeces; and removingthe hair from the adjacent surfacesdisturbs them and makes it difiicult to obtain a plurality of samplesfrom neighboring areas. The objects of this inventionare-to provide animproved method of obtaining hair density samples; to provide meanswhereby samples may be easily and quickly obtained from a predeterminedaccurately laid-01f area; to provide means whereby a plurality ofsamples may beobtained from neighboring areas; to provide a clipper forobtaining density'sample's which will accurately lay oil asurface ofpredetermined width and simultaneously remove the hair from surfacesadjacent thereto; and to provideimprovements in clippers generally.

The means forobtaining hair. density samples and the improvements inclippers are illustrated inthe accompanyingdrawing'in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a clipper on a reduced scale, a. r r

Figure 2 is a section on the line 22-12 of Figure 1; in full size scale,and

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure-2.; V E The clipper isdriven by a Conventional electric the cutter relative to the comb.

mare HAIR DENSITY motor [to whichthe'gear case 2 and handle 3 areattached. The clippercomb 4 is fixedly attached to a plate 5 bysuitable'securing means, such as screws 6 and dowel pins 7, and theplate 5 is fixedly attachedto thegear case by suitable securing means,such as screws Band dowel pins 9. Thecutter I0 is fixedly attached tothe driver block H by suitable securing means, such as.

dowel pins; l2,'and the driver block is pivotally mounted on a pivot pinI3. I

The driver block is oscillated on its pivot by rotating shaft M, whichis driven by the motor and which is provided With'a' cam I5 operating ina slot I 6 in the driver block, thus reciprocating The comb comprises'twoarms ll and-18 which are rigidly secured together, being madeintegral in the particular embodiment shown. These armsareprovided withcomb teeth lathe points of adjacent teeth being accurately spaced aparta predetermined distancedl' centimeter; say). The two arms areconsiderably longer than the comb of an ordinaryclippenallowing anunobstructed clearance space 20 of considerable length between them.This arrangement of the adjacent teeth and clearance space provides ameans'for laying on a predetermined width strip of hair-coveredsurface," thus; performing the functionof the; caliper previously usedfor this purpose. I l y 7 The cutter also comprises two arms 2! and '2-2rigidly secured together and mated with the comb arms, in such mannerthat the cutter arms and teeth always clear'space'zo. Each comb arm andits mating cutter arm, such as H and 2|,1forfexample, provides, a meansfor removing a swath of the hair from a hair-covered surface while theother comb arm and'its mating cutter arm-provides a meansfor'simultaneously removing an'- other swath, the two swaths being paralleland spaced apart a predetermined distance, correspondingto the spacingof the points of adjacent teethof the comb arms.

Due to thelength ofthe comb and c utter arms special provisions havebeenmade to provide adjustable tension means remote from the clearance spacefor holding th'e cutter tightly against the comb; Such means comprisesapin, such as a thumb screw 23, loosely fitting an aperture 24 inaportion25 of the driver block, which portion extends-laterally ornormal to the plane of its motion. The thumbscrew is seatedto pivot onthe gear case at point 26. y This point is on a line normal to theplaneof motion of the cutter and containingthe axis of pivot pin I 3., A'spring plastic solution after they may be sampled which obtained by themeans of seat 21 is threaded on the thumb screw and has flattened sidesfor non-rotatable and linear movement in a pocket 28 in portion 25 ofthe driver block. A compression spring 29 exerts force between thespring seat and driver block. The tension of the cutter on the comb isadjusted simply by turning the thumb screw.

The clipper is used in the following described manner: Assuming that itis desirable to obtain a sample of wool, the sheep is laid down and madeto relax so that the area is unstretched. A pair of swaths are cut in astraight line, leaving a row of an accurately laid-off predeterminedwidth between them. Due to the length of the arms and clearance space20, these swaths may be out several inches long without unduly crowdingthe wool in the clearance space and disturbing the underlying skin.swaths are next cut perpendicular to the first swaths across the row,leaving standing the sample of wool on an accurately laid-oi!predetermined skin area. Several such cross swathsmay be out, leavingseveral neighboring samples.

In order to maintain the fibers of the samples in alignment forsubsequent measurements, they are bound together with thread and thencut off, or they may be clamped with a haemostat, instead of tied andthe ends sealed with wax or have been cut off.

Many advantages over arise from the use of the sampling means hereindisclosed. The samples are taken with much greater speed; elaboratetechnique is not required; the sample areas are laid-oft with greaterprecision; samples neighboring areas; and. dense and felted fleecescould not be sampled by A mean density value is this invention with aprecision of 3%, which is of greater accuracy than heretofore obtained.This results in more precise knowledge of samples and the possibility ofmore thorough sampling.

the prior procedure.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1, A clipper comprising acomb, a cutter mating with the comb, means forreciprocating the cutter relative to the comb,'and means for tensioningthe cutter on the comb comprising a portion fixed to the cutter remotefrom its front end and extending laterally therefrom, and spring meansexerting force against the free end of the laterally extending portionin a direction substantially parallelto the plane of movement of thecutter, a

2. In a clipper for obtaining hair density samples, means for laying offa predetermined width strip of hair covered surface and means forsimultaneously removing the hair from areas adjacent the strip.

3. A clipper for obtaininghair density samples comprising means forclipping a swath, and means connected to thelfirst-mentioned means forsimultaneously clipping another swath parallelto and spaced apredetermined distance from thefirst mentioned swath.

4. In a clipper, a plurality. of spaced apart comb arms fixedly securedtogether at their rear ends. i i

5. In a clipper, a plurality of spaced apart comb armsfixedly securedtogether in such manner that a clearance space opening at the forwardends of thearm'sis left between them.

6. .A clipper forlobtaining hair density samples comprising a comb:formed by two parallel arms skin at the sampling" the prior proceduremay be taken from nearer 1 defining an elongated clearance space betweenthem, said arms being integrally secured together at their rear ends andprovided with comb teeth at their free ends, the points of the twoadjacent teeth on the two arms being spaced apart a predetermineddistance, a cutter formed by two parallel arms mating with the arms ofthe comb, means for reciprocating the cutter relative to the combcomprising a driver block mounted on a pivot pin for oscillatingmovement relative to the comb and fixedly secured to the cutter, saidblock having a portion extending normal to the plane of its movement,and adjustable means for tensioning the cutter on the comb comprising athumb screw loosely fitting through an aperture in the extending portionof the driver block, the end of the screw being seated on a pivot pointon a line normal to the plane of movement of the cutter and containingthe axis of the pivot pin, a spring seat threaded on the screw betweenthe pivot point and the extending portion, said spring seat being fixedagainst rotation and movable linearly relative to. the extendingportion, and a compression spring exerting force between the spring seatand the extending portion.v

'7. A clipper for obtaining hair density samples comprising a combformed by two elongated parallel arms defining an elongated clearancespace between them, said arms being fixedly secured together at theirrear ends and provided with comb teeth at their free ends, a cutterformed by two parallel arms mating with the arms of the comb, means forreciprocating the cutter relative to the comb, and means for exertingforce on the cutter to hold it against the comb, said means beingpositioned at a point rearwardly of the cutter arms whereby the cutterarms and clearance space are free from obstructions.

8. In a clipper for obtaining hair density samples, a comb formed by twoparallel arms defining a clearance space between them, said arms beingfixedly secured together at'their rear ends and provided with comb,teeth at their free ends, the points of the two adjacent teeth on thetwo arms being spaced apart, a predetermined distance.

9. A clipper comprising a comb, a cutter mating with the comb, means forreciprocating the cutter relative to the comb comprising a driver blockmounted on a pivot pin for oscillating movement relative to the comb andfixedly secured to the cutter, said block having a portion extendingnormal to the plane of its movement, and adjustable meansfor tensioningthe cutter on the comb comprising a thumb screw loosely fitting throughan aperture in the extending portion of the driver block, the end of thescrew being seated on a pivot point on a line normal to the plane ofmovement of the cutter and containing the axis of the pivot pin, aspring seat threaded on the screw between the pivot point and theextending portion, said spring seat being fixed against rotation andmovable linearly relative to the extending portion, and a compressionspring exerting force between the spring seat and the extending portion.

10. A clipper comprising a comb, a cutter mating with the comb, meansfor reciprocating the cutter relative to the comb comprising a pivotalmounting of the cutter relative to the comb on an axis normal to theplane of movement of the cutter, said cutter being provided with aportion extending laterally from the plane of movement of the cutter,and means for tensioningthe cutter on the comb comprisinga pin expivotpoint on a line normal ing with the comb, means for reciprocating thecutter relative to the comb, and means for ten- ,sioning the cutter onthe comb comprising a portion fixed to the cutter remote from its frontend and extending laterally therefrom, and spring means exerting forceagainst the free end of the laterally extending portion for resilientlyholding the cutter against the comb.

JOHN I. HARDY.

